I had thought to put this under Reality, but it has to be under Conspiracy because it cannot be proved. The Law is whatever "They" want it to be at any particular time.

Legalese Definitions

• The specialized vocabulary of the legal profession, especially when considered to be complex or abstruse.

• (Law) the conventional language in which legal documents, etc., are written.

• language typical of lawyers, laws, legal forms, etc., characterized by archaic usage, prolixity, and extreme thoroughness.

Examples of Legalese

1. In court when you are asked "Do you understand??"; say NO I do not stand under!

2. Example 2 source. You can see how the writer of this makes it unreadable just with extra words.

The original version From Thobelani Community Property Association constitution

In the original constitution the sources of information on membership are scattered. Clues to the meaning are shown in bold.

Clause 3.1.7 "Membership register" shall mean the register to be established and maintained by the Management Committee, of participating members who shall be the persons eligible to vote at the General Meeting of Members of the Association.

Clause 3.1.8 "participating members" shall mean the rightful participants in the land acquisition project designated as such in terms of Clause 10.1 and whose names will be reflected in the Membership Register.

Clause 9.1 Households eligible to apply for benefit from the assets, resources and projects of the Association shall comprise of the families whose applications for a settlement grant has been approved by the Department of Land Affairs. The said participating members shall be registered in a membership register as such.

Clause 10.4 The head of each household, registered in the Membership Register, has voting rights and therefore is the participating member.

Simplification involved finding the clues and drawing them together, before writing them in plain language. Note that as there is no other sort of member, there is no point in calling a member a "participating member".

The simplified version

4. Membership of the Association

4.1 The heads of households whose applications for a settlement grant were approved by the Department of Land Affairs are members of the Association.

4.2 The names of members shall be listed on a membership register to be kept up-to-date by the committee.

And A Great Discussion of Legalese